Church dedicates The Beginning Place’

Monday

Mar 21, 2011 at 12:01 AM

By PAUL GAUNTTDaily Light staff writer

More than 100 First Baptist Church members and community leaders gathered at 3 p.m. Sunday at the south lawn of the church to dedicate “The Beginning Place,” the name given to the new memorial fountain sculpted by Jesus Moroles.

Ken Box, chairman of deacons for FBC, led the opening prayer, gave a brief welcome and introduced David Smith, who, in turn, introduced Moroles.

The artist explained to the crowd that his career started out at the very spot where the fountain was built. In fact, he lived in the Montgomery Factory building that formerly stood just south of the church.

The fountain, carved from Texas granite from Marble Falls, is an ornate, round flat piece with carvings and a fountain of water bubbling from the center of it. Granite benches are placed on the circumference of the fountain.

Box gave his interpretation of the significance of the fountain and the imagery it depicted.

“When I see carvings in the fountain, I see the cross that Jesus died on – and the granite to me, pictures eternal life in Christ,” Box said. “And the water flowing from out of the center is a picture of the living water of Christ as explained in Revelations 21:6, which says, “And he said unto me, it is done. I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”

Box then turned to Moroles and said, “We receive this sculpture as the beginning of your career from this very place and also as a place where many people can begin their life in Christ.”

Other city leaders present were Mayor N.B. “Buck” Jordan and city councilman Chuck Beatty.